Bradley Barcola's big-money transfer to Liverpool has raised concerns with a club legend as the summer transfer window nears its close and the season already underway
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has questioned the club's recruitment after spalshing $166M on Bradley Barcola
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has questioned the club's recruitment after spalshing $166M on Bradley Barcola(Image: Getty)
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has questioned the Reds' sanctioning the $166 million transfer of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola after last summer’s Big Money splurges on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz failed to yield results.
Barcola signed a five-year contract with Liverpool, keeping him at Anfield until June 2031, and will wear the No. 29 shirt for the Andoni Iraola’s side. The France international became the third Liverpool signing in just over a year to exceed nine figures, following last summer’s arrivals of Isak and Wirtz from Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively.
Barcola will enter the Liverpool dressing room as a three-time Ligue 1 and two-time Champions League winner. Still, his transfer to Liverpool has raised questions for club legend Aldridge, who has suggested that the Reds have been sucked into buying big-money signings in an over-inflated market.
Liverpool paid $167M for Isak and around $156M for Wirtz, taking their combined transfer fees to approximately $323M. Isak endured an injury-hit first season at Liverpool, while Wirtz has taken time to settle into English soccer.
“Bradley Barcola’s big-money move to Liverpool is another example of how the current transfer market is barely making any sense,” Aldridge said in his Liverpool Echo column.
“The inflation in fees has become ridiculous. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 10 years someone is on the move for half a billion pounds.”
“Then there’s the question marks over our recent big-money recruitment,” Aldridge continued. “When Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz came in last summer, everybody was expecting us to win the Premier League again.
Bradley Barcola new signing of Liverpool at AXA Training Centre
Bradley Barcola has completed his transfer to Liverpool after a summer-long pursuit(Image: (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
“Except it doesn’t really work like that. And it has led to some claims that our transfer business last summer makes it the worst window in history.
“I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it does mean there is added pressure on Liverpool to get things right this time around, not least when you look at their record of the recent past with Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Luis Diaz and many others.”
Aldridge also maintained that there’s still work to do in the transfer market for Liverpool, particularly at the defensive midfield position. The transfer window closes on Tuesday, and he says the Reds need “a younger, slightly better version of Wataru Endo.”
Liverpool’s start to life under Iraola has already had its fair share of twists and turns. The Reds have drawn their opening two Premier League games 2-2 against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Bradley Barcola, the new signing of Liverpool, at AXA Training Center on August 30, 2026, in Kirkby, England.
Bradley Barcola, the new signing of Liverpool, at AXA Training Center on August 30, 2026, in Kirkby, England.(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool rescued a point away at St. James’ Park thanks to a late penalty from Dominik Soboszlai.
They also had to come from behind to rescue a point at Anfield against Forest, with summer signing Victor Munoz netting an 82nd-minute equalizer.
The Reds will now travel to play newly promoted Ipswich Town on Friday before kick-starting their Champions League campaign against Atletico Madrid next week.